“(The exhibit shows) the importance of the handmade and the endless creativity of the craftsperson, ... and that the inventiveness perhaps has a greater chance for expression when it is no longer hampered by the utilitarianism,” said John Scott of Manhattan Beach, a director at the Maloof Foundation. An artist and retired art teacher, Scott was also a friend of Maloof.

“He was very dedicated, but he never took himself seriously,” Scott said.

Although recognized worldwide for his signature furniture design, Maloof maintained that he was “just a woodworker,” Scott said. And Maloof noted that woodworkers around the world had no trouble communicating, even if they spoke different languages.

“One of the things about the objects in the show is you see some of those threads across cultures and across time,” said Jim Rawitsch of Pasadena, the executive director for the Maloof Foundation. “You see the same impulse of the craftsperson to take an idea and turn it into an object.”

“Craft at Play” offers a wide range of items for visitors to view. There is a carousel horse made by the Dentzel family at the turn of the 20th century. The family’s attention to detail and their promotion of the carousel as an amusement made them stand out in their industry.

Visitors will also see a dalecarlian horse from Sweden, matryoshka (nesting) dolls from Russia and Japanese Kokeshi dolls in hand-sewn costumes representing a range of ethnicities.

There are Kachina dolls, hobby horses and a collection of pull and transportation toys, as well as works by local artists, such as contemporary Indonesian-style stick puppets made by Rita Amacher of Claremont and kites by Santa Monica artist Tom Van Sant.

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The most striking piece, perhaps, is a Noah’s Ark made by woodworker Brian Kopke of Ottawa, Canada. It is more than six feet long and boasts three floors with an assortment of rooms, such as a kitchen, a dining area and a place to store hay. There is also a zoo-full of hand-carved animals accompanying it.

“The thing that’s wonderful about the ark is that it’s made largely out of wood that came from Sam Maloof’s wood barn, so there’s this wonderful connection between the ark and the history of this place and the history of Sam Maloof,” Rawitsch said. “The connection between the creative process Sam engaged in would always began with the material.”

The ark continues the legacy forged by Maloof, he added.

“The ark gives us a tangible, concrete connection to the life of Sam Maloof,” Rawitsch said. “Carrying it forward in the 21st century tells us that the creativity is very much alive.”

The Maloof Foundation is more than a gallery; it encompasses Sam Maloof’s home, workshop, showroom and woodsheds, plus a garden. Tours of all the structures are available for a fee with reservations. Guests may visit the gallery and garden for free.

“I think coming here is almost a transformational experience because for a lot of people, even people who know about Sam’s chairs, to come here and experience the context of the creation of the chair,” Rawitsch said. “It is really a wonderful revelation of the connection between light and color and form and shape and materials. It’s so much of its era and California.”